An HTACCESS file is a configuration file used by Apache web servers. It provides instructions or "directives" for different directories within a website.

▶ "htaccess" is short for HTTP access. HTTP is the protocol used for transmitting webpages from a web server to a client's browser.

An .htaccess file may contain multiple directives, such as:

• Execute MOD_REWRITE instructions (to simplify URLs)
• Define the index page of a directory (i.e. "index.html" or "index.php")
• Specify the 404 (Page not found) error page
• Perform 301 or 302 page redirects
• Deny access from specific IP address or other websites
• Restrict access to certain directories and pages

HTACCESS files are always named ".htaccess". Because they do not include a filename before the dot, they may be hidden by default. HTACCESS files may be placed within any directory of a website, including the root directory. They are processed by the web server each time a webpage is accessed.